JPH08101201A - Incubator - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To lower the manufacturing cost and the maintenance cost of incubator by providing a transferring device for moving a reaction container straight and for moving it downward with gravity. (friction, reagent, aspirator, analyzer). CONSTITUTION: A reaction cuvette C is lifted from an outside support ring 52 into a shuttle 202 by a pushing member 230 when an opening 204 of the shuttle 202 achieves a vertical line over a holding hole 57 of the outside support ring 52, and the shuttle 202 is moved inside in the radial direction expressed with an arrow 250. At this stage, the constrained cuvette C is slid along a top surface 240 as a guide surface, and a lower end 252 of the shuttle 202 can be passed through without abutting on a vertex of the pushing member 230. When the opening 204 achieves a vertical line over a holding hole 58 of an inside support ring 54, the transferred cuvette C is fallen into the hole 58 by gravity. The cuvette C is held by the hole 58, and transferred to a processing station in relation to the second ring 54.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an incubator for an analyzer using a reaction container, and more particularly to a transfer device for transferring the reaction container in the incubator.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an incubator for a reaction vessel holding a sample and an antigen, in order to complete processing, two rotors driven independently and concentrically are used, and one rotor is optionally used. It is common practice to transfer the reaction vessel to the other rotor using a transfer device. Such a device is disclosed, for example, in US Pat.
No. 66 and No. 5244633. In US Pat. No. 4,699,766, a reaction vessel is lifted above a first rotor by an elevator and then a second vessel.
Linearly above the rotor and is lowered into the second rotor. In US Pat. No. 5,244,633,
The reaction vessel is extruded by the push rod from one rotor to the other through a slot provided in the rotor.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the above two inventions,
The transfer device is very finely constructed. For example, in column 4, lines 47 to 49 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,699,766, an elevator must hold, lift, move linearly, move down, and then release the reaction container. It is stated that this will not happen. Such complex mechanisms increase manufacturing costs and require frequent maintenance.

The present invention has a technical problem to solve the problems of the prior art, and provides an incubator equipped with a transfer device for transferring a reaction container between rotors with a simple structure, and thus, the manufacturing cost of the incubator. It also aims to reduce maintenance costs.

[0005]

The above object is achieved by a transfer device in which a reaction vessel is moved linearly and then moved down by gravity without grasping and then releasing the vessel. The incubator of the present invention comprises first and second rotors arranged adjacent to each other, that is, a plurality of stations for receiving and incubating a container holding a liquid, and the first and second rotors. The rotation driving means for rotating each independently and the container for holding the liquid are the first
And first and second rotors having a transfer means for transferring one rotor of the second rotor to the other rotor. The transfer means comprises a shuttle disposed above the first and second rotors, the shuttle receiving an opening, i.e. one of the containers, and rubbing the containers. Has an opening formed in a size that does not hold. The incubator further comprises a first drive means for traversing the shuttle and the opening of the shuttle from the one rotor to the other rotor, a first pushing member and a second drive means, i.e. The first pushing member is moved to the one rotor so as to come into contact with the container on the one rotor, and the container brought into contact with the first pushing member is lifted from the station of the one rotor to the shuttle. And a second drive means. The first
The pushing member and the station of the one rotor are
It is dimensioned to hold the lifted container within the opening of the shuttle until the shuttle begins to move away from the one rotor. The incubator is
Furthermore, a guide surface is provided on the underside of the shuttle, which keeps the container in the opening of the shuttle until it reaches the station of the other rotor, the opening of the shuttle at the other rotor. The lifted container is configured to drop into the station from the opening of the shuttle when placed in a straight line above the station where the container is not located.

The present invention further provides a method for transferring a reaction vessel, which holds a liquid to be incubated and which is held in two rotor stations, from one rotor to another rotor, the reaction vessel being held in the one rotor station. Lifting the reaction vessel into the opening of the shuttle above the rotor, i.e., an opening sized to receive the vessel but not hold it by friction.
Moving the shuttle from the one rotor to the other rotor while holding the reaction vessel in the opening; and placing the opening of the shuttle vertically above one station of the other rotor. Dropping the container in the opening of the shuttle into the station.

[0007]

According to the present invention, by partially utilizing gravity, the transfer device for transferring one rotor of the incubator to the other rotor of the incubator has a simple structure.

[0008]

The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below.
In this example, the incubator is used with the analyzer in the preferred configuration. The analyzer has a preferred station that cooperates with an incubator to lift the reaction vessel into a moving shuttle. Further, the present invention provides
When the opening of the shuttle does not hold the reaction container by friction and the means for preventing the reaction container from falling is not provided under the shuttle, the reaction container can be released and dropped by gravity. Then it is valid regardless of the other configurations of the analyzer or associated station and the configuration of the shuttle operating mechanism.

Furthermore, the term "falling" as used herein refers to whether the container actually free falls or not before it is received by the lower component of the reaction container.
Used for container movement under gravity.

Referring to FIG. 1, an analyzer 10 utilizing the incubator of the present invention preferably has a sample supply station 12, a cuvette supply station 14 (see FIG. 2) and a reagent supply station 16 (see FIG. 1).
An incubator 50, means 20, 22 for transferring samples and reagents to reaction cuvettes arranged on the outer ring of the incubator 50, a signal reagent supply station 24, and a signal reagent arranged on the inner ring of the incubator 50. It comprises means 26 for transferring to a cuvette, a cuvette cleaning station 30 and a luminometer 32. All of these components are described in US Pat.
No. 44,633. Use any suitable configuration for sample supply station 12, cuvette supply station 14, reagent supply station 16, transfer means 20, 22, 26, signal reagent supply station 24, cuvette wash station 30, and luminometer 32. it can.

A sample transfer device 13 is provided. The reagent supply station 16 includes a rotor 34. The transfer means 20, 22, and 26 are composed of rotating aspirators. The aspirator of the transfer means 26 has a double probe 36. The transfer means 20 preferably uses disposable tips. The disposable tip is transferred to the sample supply station 12 for collection. An auxiliary chip 37 is mounted on the turntable 38 for use in the transfer means 20 in the dilution process. Conversely, the aspirator for the transfer means 22 uses a permanent dispensing tip. The dispensing tip uses a wash station 40 as before.

The cuvettes are arranged for dispensing at the cuvette supply station 14 by, for example, attaching to a ring 42 that works with the reagent supply station 16. The ring 42 is used by the pusher 43 to move the cuvette from the ring 42 to the lower incubator 50 as shown in FIG. Although any cuvette can be used, a cup-shaped container C is preferably used. The cuvette C is provided with an antibody on the inner surface 44 in advance. This antibody is effective in a conventional sandwich assay that produces an antibody-antigen-labeled antibody complex that produces a chemiluminescent signal.

The incubator is preferably the incubator disclosed in US Pat. No. 5,244,633 and comprises an outer support ring 52 and an inner support ring 54 concentrically arranged as first and second rotors. There is. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the outer and inner support rings 5
Holding holes 57 and 58 for receiving and holding the cuvette C are formed in the reference numerals 2 and 54. The cuvette C is first transferred to the outer support ring 52 by the pusher means 43. The outer and inner support rings 52, 54 are further
Rotating means for individually rotating the rings 52, 54 about a common axis of rotation 55, and transfer means for moving the cuvette from the outer support ring 52 to the inner support ring 54 in the direction of arrow 56 in FIG. 200 (see FIG. 3), a plurality of processing stations arranged around the support cylinder, and outer and inner support rings 52,
Heating means for incubating the contents of the cuvette held at 54. The outer and inner support rings 52, 54, along with associated components, are shown schematically in FIG. Said rotating means for the support rings are preferably formed on each of the outer and inner support rings 52, 54 with teeth 62, 64 driven by gears 66, 68.

Alternatively, the transfer means 200 (see FIG. 3) is
Instead of the position shown by the arrow 56 in FIG. 2, it may be arranged at another position on the outer circumference of the support ring.

As already mentioned, in addition to the inlet port 70 of the cuvette C, various processing stations are arranged around the outer and inner support rings 52, 54. Figure 1,
2, the station 72 shows the outer support ring 5
2 and above which the auxiliary tip 37 of the aspirator 20 is arranged. The aspirator 20 dispenses the sample into a cuvette held by an outer support ring 52. A first antigen distribution station 74 is disposed at least above the outer support ring 52 so that the tip of the aspirator 22 can distribute the first antigen to the cuvette held by the outer support ring 52. Aspirator 22 may be used to dispense a second antigen, the conjugated antigen. A second antigen distribution station 76 is disposed at least above the inner support ring 54 for distributing signal antigen to cuvettes carried by the inner support ring 54. Washing station 3
A wash dispense station 78 is disposed above the inner support ring 54 to wash the cuvette using the zero. A luminometer 32 is disposed above the inner support ring 54 for reading chemiluminescence. Transfer means 200 (see FIGS. 3-5) is provided at station 80 to move the cuvette from outer support ring 52 to inner support ring 54, as indicated by arrow 56 in FIG.
It is arranged in.

The used cuvette is finally removed from the inner support ring 54 using any suitable mechanism. For example, the cuvette is pulled out to the opening 82 connected to the holding hole 58 through the slot 83 by sliding the cuvette radially inward toward the position indicated by the arrow 84 by using the pull rod 86. The pull rod 86 is arranged at a peripheral position different from that of the transfer means 200. Opening 8
2 shows that the cuvette C passes through the chute 88 and the waste box 9
It is formed to be larger than the cuvette C so that it can be dropped to zero. A motor 92 for the pull rod 86 can move up and down along the track 94 to move it into the pull rod 86 cuvette.

A fixed ribbed track 100 (see FIG. 2) is disposed below the outer and inner support rings 52, 54 to mix the contents of the cuvette as it passes through the ribs. May be assisted. The details of the processing stations 30, 32, 70, 74, and 76 are the same as those in the conventional art, and thus a further description is omitted.

According to one feature of the invention, the transfer means 2
The 00 includes a shuttle 202 disposed above the outer and inner support rings 52, 54, as shown in FIGS. Shuttle 202 preferably has opening 20
Four. Although the opening 204 is shown as a through hole, it may be formed as a blind hole up to the height of the broken line 206. The opening 204 is large enough to receive the cuvette without frictional resistance when lifting the cuvette C into the opening. That is, the inner diameter D of the opening 204 is formed to be larger than the outer diameter d of the cuvette C, and if the cuvette in the opening is not supported from below, the cuvette drops from the opening.

The shuttle 202 has guide surfaces 210 and 212.
And the guide roller 214 (see FIG. 4) or other suitable guide means so that the opening 204 is located directly above the holding hole 57 of the first ring 52 and the opening 2
04 can be moved linearly between the second position and the second position of the second ring 54, which is directly above the holding hole 58. To drive the shuttle 202, a suitable drive such as a rack 220 and drive gear 222 is provided as the first drive means.

In order to move the cuvette from the holding hole 57 of the outer support ring 52 to the opening 204 (preferably in the vertical direction), a pushing member 230 as a first pushing member is provided.
Are arranged below the support ring 52. A passage 232 is provided in the lower frame of the outer support ring 52. The passages 232 are arranged to be vertically aligned with each of the retaining holes 57 as the outer support ring 52 rotates. In the present embodiment, which is shown as an example, the pushing member 230 is the driving arm 23 as the second driving means.
4 and the driving source 236 drive in the vertical direction. That is, the pushing member 230 is arranged in the passage 232 and attached to the drive arm 234. The drive arm 234 can be moved up and down by a conventional motor such as a linear actuator motor 236. When the pushing member 230 and the drive arm 234 move downward in the direction of the arrow 238 toward the position of the broken line, the pushing member 230 does not come out of the holding hole 57 and does not come into contact with the supported cuvette, and the holding hole and the cuvette move. Move down.

The upper surfaces 240 of the outer and inner support rings 52, 54 act as a guide surface for the cuvette C as it is transported by the shuttle 202 through the outer support ring 52 to the inner support ring 54.

The transfer method can be easily understood from the above description. That is, the reaction cuvette C is the shuttle 202.
When the opening 204 is positioned on the vertical line above the holding hole 57 of the outer supporting ring 52, the pushing member 230 lifts the opening 204 from the outer supporting ring 52 into the shuttle 202. The shuttle 202 then moves radially inward as indicated by arrow 250 in FIG. At this time, the constrained cuvette slides along the upper surface 240 as a guide surface. The lower end portion 252 of the shuttle 202 is configured so as to be able to pass while avoiding the top portion of the pushing member 230. As shown in FIG. 5, when the opening 204 is arranged on the vertical line above the holding hole 58 of the inner support ring 54,
The transferred cuvette simply falls by gravity into the holding hole 58. The cuvette is held in the holding hole 58 and transferred to the processing station for the second ring 54.

Only the holding hole 58 can receive the next cuvette. In this embodiment, only the pushing member 230 and the guide surface 240 can hold the lifted cuvette in the opening of the shuttle. However,
A second pushing member 280 may be provided (shown in broken lines in FIG. 3 and in solid lines in FIG. 5). Preferably, the second pushing member 280 is composed of a feed screw. The feed screw 280 extends through a through hole 282 provided in the frame of the analyzer and is driven by a conventional means such as a linear actuator motor 284. The lead screw 280 is driven up and down, as indicated by arrow 286, to receive the cuvette C and then lower the cuvette C before the cuvette C has completely dropped into the holding hole 58. As a result, the distance over which the cuvette falls is reduced, and the vibration generated in the cuvette is reduced.

Due to the construction as described above, the incubator preferably does not have to be provided with gripping means for gripping, moving up, moving down and releasing the cuvette C. Also, the invention may not include elements that have not been described in detail.

The above-described embodiments are shown merely as examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the outer and inner support rings are described as the first and second rotors, but the two rings as the first and second rotors can be interchanged with each other. And can also be configured to transfer the cuvette from the inner support ring to the outer support ring.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of an analyzer including an incubator of the present invention.

2 is a schematic perspective view of a rotor of an incubator according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing various stations. FIG.

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the transfer device of the incubator.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the transfer device of the incubator.

FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of the transfer device of the incubator, showing a mechanism for discarding used cuvettes.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 ... Analyzer 52 ... Outer rotor 54 ... Inner rotor 202 ... Shuttle 204 ... Shuttle opening 220 ... Rack 222 ... Drive gear 230 ... First pushing member 234 ... Drive arm 236 ... Motor 240 ... Rotor upper surface

Claims (18)

[Claims] 1. First and second rotors disposed adjacent to each other, ie, a plurality of stations for receiving and incubating a container holding a liquid, and each of the first and second rotors. First and second rotors having rotation drive means for independently rotating the rotor and transfer means for transferring the container holding the liquid from one rotor of the first and second rotors to the other rotor. In an incubator, the transfer means comprises a shuttle disposed above the first and second rotors, the shuttle receiving an opening, i.e. one of the containers, and The incubator further comprises an opening sized to prevent friction holding of the container, the incubator further comprising: the shuttle and the shuttle opening traversing the shuttle from the one rotor to the other rotor. Drive means, a first pushing member, and a second driving means, that is, the first pushing member is moved to the one rotor so as to come into contact with the container on the one rotor, and A second drive means for lifting the container in contact with the first pushing member from the station of the one rotor to the shuttle, wherein the first pushing member and the station of the one rotor are: The incubator is further dimensioned to hold the lifted container within the opening of the shuttle until the shuttle begins its retreating motion from the one rotor, the incubator further reaching a station of the other rotor, A guide surface provided on the underside of the shuttle for maintaining the container within the opening of the shuttle, the opening of the shuttle defining a container at the other rotor; An incubator configured to drop the lifted container from an opening in a shuttle into the station when placed in a straight line over an unplaced station. 2. The first and second rotors are arranged adjacent to each other in a common plane, and the guide surface has the first surface.
The incubator according to claim 1, comprising: and an upper surface of the second rotor. 3. The container comprises a reaction cuvette holding a liquid sample and an antigen, and the station of the rotor comprises a plurality of apertures for receiving the cuvette and holding it from falling out of the rotor. Incubator described in. 4. The first pushing member is arranged below the one rotor, and the second driving means includes a plurality of passages provided below a small hole of the rotor. The passageway is sized to allow the first pusher member to move from underneath the rotor into contact with a reaction cuvette located in a small hole in the rotor. Incubator as described. 5. The first pushing member is arranged below the one rotor, and the second driving means includes a plurality of passages provided below a small hole of the rotor. The passageway is sized to allow the first pusher member to move from underneath the rotor into contact with a reaction cuvette located in a small hole in the rotor. Incubator as described. 6. A guide for causing the first drive means to linearly move the shuttle across the upper surfaces of the first and second rotors, and a motor for causing the shuttle to reciprocate along the guide. The incubator according to claim 2, further comprising: 7. The transfer means is a gripping means, ie, grips the container before the container is lifted from the rotor or places the container before the container is placed at the station of the other rotor. The incubator according to claim 2, wherein the incubator has no gripping means for releasing. 8. The incubator according to claim 2, wherein only the guide surface and the first pushing member constitute a means for holding a container in the opening of the shuttle. 9. The incubator according to claim 2, wherein the incubator further comprises a receiving device for receiving a container dropped from the opening of the shuttle and moving the container downward. 10. The receiving device includes a second pushing member, the second pushing member is disposed under the other rotor, and the other rotor is the rotor of the rotor. A passageway provided on the lower side of the small hole, the passageway allowing the second pushing member to move into the small hole of the other rotor to receive the falling reaction vessel. The incubator according to claim 9, wherein the incubator has different dimensions. 11. A guide for causing the first drive means to linearly move the shuttle across the upper surfaces of the first and second rotors, and a motor for causing the shuttle to reciprocate along the guide. The incubator according to claim 1, further comprising: 12. The transfer means is a gripping means, ie,
2. A gripping means according to claim 1 which does not include gripping means for gripping the container before it is lifted from the rotor or for releasing the container before it is placed at a station of the other rotor. incubator. 13. The incubator according to claim 1, wherein only the guide surface and the first pushing member constitute means for holding a container in the opening of the shuttle. 14. The incubator according to claim 1, wherein the incubator further comprises a receiving device for receiving a container dropped from the opening of the shuttle and moving the container downward. 15. The receiving device includes a second pushing member, the second pushing member is disposed below the other rotor, and the other rotor is the rotor of the rotor. There is a passage disposed below the small hole that allows the second pushing member to move into the small hole of the other rotor to receive the falling reaction vessel. 15. The incubator according to claim 14 having acceptable dimensions. 16. The container of claim 1, wherein the container comprises a reaction cuvette holding a liquid sample and an antigen, and the station of the rotor comprises a plurality of openings for receiving the cuvette and holding the cuvette from falling. Incubator as described. 17. A method of transferring a reaction container held in a station of two rotors and holding a liquid to be incubated from one rotor to another rotor, wherein the reaction container held in the station of one rotor is A step of lifting into the opening of the shuttle above the rotor, i.e., an opening of a size that receives the container but does not hold it due to friction; Moving the shuttle from one rotor of the shuttle to the other of the rotors, arranging the opening of the shuttle vertically above one station of the other rotor and dropping the container in the opening of the shuttle into the station. A transport method comprising the steps of: 18. The transfer method according to claim 17, further comprising the step of receiving a falling reaction container by receiving means in the station, and moving the receiving means and the reaction container downward into the station.